


Warm Colors

by yosgay



Series: plein de couleurs [2]
Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-19 01:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7339630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yosgay/pseuds/yosgay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kou sniffs once and shifts in the grass, and when Yosuke peeks up at him out of the corner of his eye, he's closer than before, Yosuke's sure. He tilts to the side just a little to test it, and sure enough, his arm brushes Kou's. He returns the gesture until they're leaning against each other just slightly, and Yosuke can’t help thinking about how comfortable, how <em>easy</em> it would be rest his head on Kou's shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warm Colors

Yosuke always liked coming to the Samegawa. 

One thing Inaba has going for it over the city is the abundance of quiet little places like this to come and think. He sits still, soaking it in, as to not disturb the ambient noises of late summer, head resting on crossed forearms and knees. He peeks through his wavy humidity-ruined bangs with one eye, watching the lazy water go by. He’s still a little worked up from basketball practice, and the cool breeze feels nice on his skin. 

Usually, he’d be out getting a bite with Kou, Daisuke, and Souji after practice, but Kou’s skipped the last few, including today’s, and it’s no fun without him. When he’d asked Souji about it, he didn’t say much - apart from how Kou’s planning on quitting. Yosuke’s still totally floored by that, and even though it’s not really his business, they’re friends, and he can’t help himself. Yosuke’s no star athlete, barely has any interest in sports in general, but that kid could be a pro if he wanted to. He sighs and takes out his phone, tapping out a text.

**_17:08:_ ** _u busy? at the floodplain. wanna talk real quick_

He flips his phone shut and rests his head back on his arms, breathing in the clean country air. He’s really only half-expecting a responses with how flaky Kou’s been, but when his phone chirps in his pocket, he can’t help but smile a little - even though Kou probably already knows what he’s gonna say, and probably won’t be as patient with _him_ as he is with Souji.

**_17:10:_ ** _yeah, ok. be there in a few_

Yosuke closes his eyes to wait, and is about five seconds from falling asleep in the warming sunlight when he hears footsteps behind him and picks his head up, lifting his hand tiredly in a greeting.

“So, what, you trying to take Souji's place as my second mom for the day?" Kou says, a tight smile on his face. 

Yosuke blinks up at him, and then sighs, “in a way, yeah, I guess.”

Kou unfolds his arms and deflates a little, plopping next to him on the grass. 

“I don't get why everybody's trying to decide this for me,” he mumbles dejectedly, hugging his knees close. Yosuke squirms, feeling nosey, and intrusive, and that’s not what he’s trying to do. He just wants to speak his piece.

“Hey look man, I'm not trying to run your life. I get that it's complicated, but you're not stupid. You have to know what you're throwing away here.”

Kou laughs hollowly, a little self-deprecatingly. “Yeah, I know. It’s just, my family, man, ya know? It sucks." He toys with the hem of his pants. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”

Yosuke rubs at the back of his neck, unsure how to continue. He doesn't want to overstep his boundaries here, but he wants to push this. Maybe it’s not quite the same, but he knows what it's like having your life dictated by everybody else, and he also knows the beauty of seeing yourself overcome it. Kou deserves to make this choice for himself.

Kou sniffs shallowly and picks at the grass, stacking the blades into a little pile on his knee.

Yosuke takes a deep breath and starts, "you know I only joined up because of you, right? I suck at basketball," he says, and Kou snorts. "But you kinda made me like it. It's so much fun watching you play. You really love it man, everybody can tell." 

It's true - Yosuke's confident that he can't be the only one on the team or in the crowd who's impressed by his talents. Yosuke's never really had that feeling, never really excelled at anything in that way - and he wants it, and so do most people. He can't throw this away.

"So... you like watching me play basketball?”

"Shut _up_ ,” Yosuke says, laughing, and swats at his arm.

They laugh, but - yeah. Yeah, he really does. There's something entirely beautiful about watching someone lose themselves in something they love, and Yosuke thinks that watching Kou dribble and shoot perfect free-throws every day after school is probably what it was like for Motzart's mother to hear him practicing piano as a child. You can just tell - he's got something special.

He falls silent, contemplative, and it's not completely comfortable, Kou seeming expectant for him to speak - but he stays carefully quiet.

"Hey Yosuke?" Kou says quietly, hugging his knees tighter and staring at the river - and he sounds so small. "Do you really think I could make it?”

Yosuke smiles, and doesn't miss a beat when he says, "no question. You're kind of amazing, dude.”

Kou beams, that genuine 100-watt smile lighting them both up, and Yosuke forces a cough to look away before he does something stupid. 

Kou sniffs once and shifts in the grass, and when Yosuke peeks up at him out of the corner of his eye, he's closer than before, Yosuke's sure. He tilts to the side just a little to test it, and sure enough, his arm brushes Kou's. He returns the gesture until they're leaning against each other just slightly, and Yosuke can’t help thinking about how comfortable, how _easy_ it would be rest his head on Kou's shoulder.

The sun hangs low in the sky as it sets, casting a blinding gold light on the water and making everything look weirdly high-definition, and Yosuke stares at Kou's hand. It's right there, sitting on the grass, propping him up, just inches from Yosuke's. it wouldn't even be that hard, just like how their arms are touching now, no big deal. The late summer evenings have started to cool down some, and Kou's _warm,_ and Yosuke just wants to be closer.

"You really think so?" Kou whispers, turning his head, close enough that Yosuke can just barely feel breath on his cheek.

"Duh," he mumbles, and forces his hand that extra few centimeters to close over Kou's, his heart thumping painfully, afraid he’ll snatch it away.

But Kou responds in kind, like he's been waiting for this, and picks their hands up, threading them together and turning to face Yosuke proper. Yosuke’s face feels hot, and he's sure it's turned an unnatural shade of red. He stares at the scattered blades of grass that fell off of Kou's knee when he moved.

"Hey," he says softly, reaching out and brushing the unruly bangs back from Yosuke's forehead some, "look at me.”

Yosuke forces his eyes away from the ground, just in time to see Kou closing the distance between them. Yosuke nearly jumps at him, nervous and too eager, and they meet too hard, bruising lips and bumping noses. They pull away too fast and Kou's laughing and blushing, and Yosuke thinks he could die from how beautiful he is, and he wastes no time cupping his cheek and leaning in again - more gently this time - and _god_ , he was right - Kou really is warm.

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry, somewhere off in the distance, souji and daisuke are probably also smoochin


End file.
